Letter from Wallace

FSCJ President Steve Wallace sent a letter on June 24, 2012 to Florida Times-Union Editor Frank Denton asking him to “please, please ‘call off the dogs’” in the newspaper’s investigation - and to keep the letter private.

Denton responded that any letter Wallace wrote on behalf of the college was a public record, and that the paper has a responsibility to investigate and report responsibly.

Despite a state report that he may have violated the code of ethics and could face a public reprimand or a fine for accepting free trips, former Florida State College at Jacksonville president Steve Wallace still believes he’s innocent.

The final review of the Florida State College Foundation released this week by the Florida Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel recommended the foundation and Wallace be reviewed by the ethics commission. She also advised the foundation and college on policy changes to prevent ethical violations. Both recommendations appeared in Miguel’s draft report issued last month.

“[T]here is reasonable belief,” Miguel wrote, “that the former College President may have violated the following section of the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees based on his receipt of numerous trips.”

Wallace could be reprimanded and fined thousands of dollars in civil penalties. He wrote a letter to Miguel that said, “I continue to believe that my actions relative to community service travel conformed to the requirements of Florida Statute 112.3148.”

He sent a copy of the letter to interim college President Willis Holcombe. In Holcombe’s letter to Miguel, he and the chair of college board of trustees and the chair of the college foundation board of directors said they agreed “that the recommendations are appropriate and consistent with the findings. ... We will fully cooperate with the Commission [on Ethics] in any subsequent review or investigation.”

According to the college website, the board of trustees will meet Tuesday and discuss the report.

A month ago, when the draft was first made public, Gov. Rick Scott said it exposed “egregious and irresponsible actions” by Wallace that questioned how well the foundation handled public money. The only changes to the report draft were the response letters from those involved in the report.

Scott ordered the investigation in October after a series of articles in the Times-Union showed Wallace’s use of college and foundation money for meals, travel and other expenses. Wallace announced his resignation that month and received more than $1 million in continued salary and accrued leave time.

Scott said he was hopeful about the college’s future under Holcombe, “focusing on what should be their top priority — providing Florida students an affordable, high-quality education.”

The report of the last five years’ expenses found the college and foundation’s checkbooks were each managed by a single person. At the college, the report found, that person reported directly to Wallace and the foundation’s accountant reported to the executive director. Explanations for expenses were often incomplete.

“We found evidence of weak internal controls and inadequate policies and procedures which allowed the former College President and other staff to use Foundation funds without a clearly documented benefit to the College and in the best interest of the State,” Miguel wrote.

The Times-Union reported in July 2012 year that Wallace charged $187,000 to the college and its foundation over two years, including meals, travel and technology expenses. Wallace’s expenses often lacked documentation and appeared to be approved by Wallace’s office manager with a signature stamp, the Times-Union reported.

In Holcombe’s response to the report, he and the board chairs said the foundation had a new executive director and the college had a new chief financial officer. “With the recommendations from this report in hand, the College and Foundation have developed a work plan to complete the policy and procedure revision process within 90 days,” the July 26 letter read.

301.81 Narcissistic Personality Disorder
The essential feature of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy that begins by early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical
manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author

Sometimes the disorder becomes so overwhelming that the self-absorbed, and destructive behavior of the narcissist is accepted, (especially in a neurotic media climate) as normal or even noble.

Some notorious narcissists: Steve Wallace, Angela Corey, Alvin Brown, Corrine Brown, Barrack Obama. Take your pick, they are all in need of psychotherapy and none of them should be in a position of authority.

Defining "ethics" legally is always a mess. Remember when there was common sense? Public education is nothing more than an arm of the welfare state so do not be surprised at admin actions; they didn't earn the money they're using, we gave it to them and continue to vote for them.

AUSSIEBAT: "It boggles the mind that someone so delusional and devoid of simple decency was allowed to remain in a position of power for so long..." It is because he had help from the FSCJ Board of Trustees and that is why he is still getting a million dollars from the board as a "consultant". One board member actually state that they didn't care what the public thought and she would make sure that Wallace gets compensated very well. The State of Florida and the taxpayers need to take a firm stand on organizations that waste taxpayer dollars so boldly and without regret. It is time for FSCJ to lose their accreditation until they clean up their act and it is time to at least fire the entire board if not prosecute them for defrauding the taxpayers.